How Telegram became 'center of gravity' for domestic terrorists

The nonprofit investigative journalism site ProPublica and WGBH-TV's FRONTLINE turned to a University of Cincinnati political science professor to explain how bad actors are using the news and messaging app Telegram to foment violence.

French prosecutors charged Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov last week with enabling criminality in the app. The charges include complicity in offenses related to child sexual abuse and drug trafficking.

But according to the investigation by ProPublica and FRONTLINE, Telegram is being used to plan terrorist acts.

“Telegram plays a key role in the perpetuation of militant accelerationism,” said Michael Loadenthal, an assistant professor of political science in UC's College of Arts and Sciences.

Loadenthal teaches in UC's School of Public and International Affairs and directs the Prosecution Project, which tracks felony cases involving political violence in the United States.

According to Loadenthal, Telegram has shown that deplatforming violent and hateful content is not its priority.

ProPublica and FRONTLINE examined Telegram’s role in a string of recent alleged far-right acts of sabotage and murder and how the company’s inaction allowed extremists to plan and discuss their crimes.

Examples include neo-Nazi Michail Chkhikvishvili, who used Telegram to solicit people willing to carry out murders and bombings in the United States. Prosecutors say he solicited an undercover FBI agent to pose as Santa Claus to distribute poisoned candy to children in New York.

Also this year a Florida man, Alexander Lightner, was charged with threatening to carry out a mass shooting, promising on Telegram “the highscore shall be defeated.”

Loadenthal also spoke to the New Yorker about ways that online vigilantes are helping law enforcement identify and track down violent extremists using digital sleuthing. 

 According to the New Yorker, the work of these online detectives led the U.S. military to discharge dozens of white supremacists serving in active duty and spurred federal criminal prosecutions. 

Loadenthal told the New Yorker that charging documents in one out of every five cases relating to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol acknowledged information from civilian “sedition hunters.”

Read the ProPublica report.

Featured image at top: French authorities charged the founder of the messaging app Telegram with enabling criminals on the web app. Photo/Stockcam/iStockPhoto